Local farm store says bird flu, egg shortage has now led to baby chick shortage

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MAIZE, Kan. (KAKE) – While many may be looking to raise chickens as a way around the egg shortage caused by bird flu, one farm store says another kind of shortage is going to delay interested buyers.

Inside Woodard Mercantile’s Maize locations, staff at the store says every day, more customers call or come in, looking to purchase chickens of their own.

Store Owner Leslye Woodard says it’s a great idea.

“When the price of eggs go sky high, then everybody says, ‘I’m going to raise my own eggs,’” said Woodard.

Woodard says it takes about 6 months before a baby chick is old enough to lay eggs, but buyers can expect to wait even longer now that the egg shortage has led to a shortage of egg-laying chicks as well.

“A lot of the hatcheries are short because they’re also trying to supply the big houses that have that have had to euthanize all their chicks,” said Woodard.

The store says customers can normally reserve egg-laying chicks and have them within a week. However, with the effects of bird flu, that wait can be up to a month and a half or more. 

“Most of them are pretty willing to do that, because they can’t get them from anybody else either,” said Woodard. “We don’t do a first come, first serve, but I heard at one of the other stores, they were sold out within like 10 minutes.”

Woodard says chick reservations made at the store now wouldn’t be fulfilled until May or June.

She estimates it’ll be another seven to eight months before the egg supply is replenished, but the threat of bird flu remains.

“It’s about a six month process to euthanize the birds, clean the place, disinfect the place, and start over,” said Woodard. “We’ve had this cycle several times.”

The only solution Woodard can offer for baby chick buyers right now is patience.

“There’s not a whole lot you can do about it if you don’t buy eggs,” said Woodard.

In the meantime, Woodard Mercantile stores have two upcoming “Chick-Chats” where interested buyers can come and learn more about taking care of chickens. The events will be April 3rd at the Maize location and April 4th at the Andover location. More information is on the flyer below. 

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